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Rhinoceros

"The rhinoceros's fearsome appearance and powerful leathery frame belie its docile and solitary nature, causing the animal to be consistently perceived by humans as a short-tempered monster to be avoided at all costs. In Rhinoceros Kelly Enright deftly sifts fact from fiction. Early sightings mistook the rhinoceros for the mythical unicorn, while circus displays and tours in 18th-century Europe and 19th-century America presented it as a wonder of nature." "The rhinoceros is now an endangered species in its much-shrunken habitat of Africa and Asia. Its misfortune is that it has long been prized by hunters, some in pursuit of its horn - a valuable ingredient in traditional Asian medicine - while others, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway, reckoned it was the ultimate big-game trophy. Today, state and privately funded parts, zoos and environmental lobby groups continue the struggle to save the rhino from extinction. This book also considers portrayals of the animal in film, literature and art. Well illustrated and persuasively argued, Rhinoceros will appeal to all who want to learn more about the culture, history and essential nature of this much misunderstood animal."--Jacket.Read more...

Abstract:

Rhinoceros' wildness has roots in the ancient, prehistoric and mythic. Many sightings of the rhinoceros were thought to prove the existence of the mythical unicorn, which was said to be impossible to capture alive. This title asks whether the savagery of the rhino is a reality or a legacy of its mythic past.Read more...

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

'The latest addition to Reaktion's splendid "Animal" series concerns a beast that was confused with the unicorn, libelled by Pliny (he called it "plotting, conniving and underhanded) and praised by Ernest Hemingway ("the hell of an animal") though only as a trophy.' - The Independent 'The latest monograph in the winning Animal series - truly natural histories, each title a wide-ranging look at a single creature, replete with splendid illustrations - is perhaps the finest yet. Like its predecessors, this volume alternately informs, delights, moves, and astonishes. Success here owes as much to author as to subject. The former, a cultural and environmental historian, acquits herself admirably, distilling fact from fiction, employing supple and incisive prose, and trailing casual acumen in her measured wake.' - The Atlantic 'A fascinating book that explores the myths, history, evolution and habits of this now endangered species.' - Talking Travel AfricaRead more...

<http://www.worldcat.org/title/-/oclc/179836781#Review/158489636> a schema:Review ;schema:itemReviewed <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/179836781> ; # Rhinocerosschema:reviewBody ""The rhinoceros's fearsome appearance and powerful leathery frame belie its docile and solitary nature, causing the animal to be consistently perceived by humans as a short-tempered monster to be avoided at all costs. In Rhinoceros Kelly Enright deftly sifts fact from fiction. Early sightings mistook the rhinoceros for the mythical unicorn, while circus displays and tours in 18th-century Europe and 19th-century America presented it as a wonder of nature." "The rhinoceros is now an endangered species in its much-shrunken habitat of Africa and Asia. Its misfortune is that it has long been prized by hunters, some in pursuit of its horn - a valuable ingredient in traditional Asian medicine - while others, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway, reckoned it was the ultimate big-game trophy. Today, state and privately funded parts, zoos and environmental lobby groups continue the struggle to save the rhino from extinction. This book also considers portrayals of the animal in film, literature and art. Well illustrated and persuasively argued, Rhinoceros will appeal to all who want to learn more about the culture, history and essential nature of this much misunderstood animal."--Jacket." ; .